NFL star Warner returns to Cedar Rapids to build homes

Retired NFL quarterback Kurt Warner returned to his hometown of Cedar Rapids Friday to help hundreds of volunteers build homes for flood victims.

Warner was selected as the NFL’s most valuable player twice in his career and made three Super Bowl appearances. He retired in January and says that’s given him more time to focus on his charitable foundation, First Things First. “There was a lot of devastation through the floods and it’s going to be a long process but I love the attitude of the community,” Warner said. “I love the community coming out to support one another and doing everything they can to rebuild this thing and that’s the reason we continue to come back.”

Warner and his wife Brenda were also in Cedar Rapids last year to build homes. The Warners have partnered with Habitat for Humanity and other organizations on the project.

During this trip, 13 homes are going up in Cedar Rapids. That makes more than 30 homes over the last two years. “When (the flood) first happened, there were so many people that were like ‘Where do I go from here? What do I do? I don’t have a home, I don’t have any stuff.’ And they didn’t really know what the next step was,” Warner said. “To know that we’ve been a part of the project that has allowed 30 some families to be able to put one foot in front of the other, get into a home and really start their lives over is very rewarding.”